AAPI Civic Engagement Fund Awards $5.4 Million in 2023 to Bolster AAPI Civic Participation and Strengthen Multi-Racial Democracy in the U.S.

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May 9, 2023

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AAPI Civic Engagement Fund Awards $5.4 Million in 2023 to Bolster AAPI Civic Participation and Strengthen Multi-Racial Democracy in the U.S.

Grantees span 50 organizations in 19 states to build AAPI political power and racial solidarity

LOS ANGELES—The AAPI Civic Engagement Fund, one of the largest funders of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) movement building, announced $5.4 million in general operating grants to 50 groups that are fostering full civic participation for AAPI communities across the country.

“Through these latest rounds of investments, we continue to focus intently on building the breadth and depth of the AAPI social justice movement,” said EunSook Lee, Executive Director of AAPI Civic Engagement Fund. “We expanded our support into new states and new issues to include AAPI groups in Arizona and Nevada and those working with formerly incarcerated people. Our largest grants are aimed at strengthening AAPI movement infrastructure and capacity. Woven together, these strategies will increase AAPI political participation, strengthen America’s multiracial democracy, and transform systemic conditions to improve the quality of life for all.”

Through its grantmaking approach, AAPI Civic Engagement Fund is forging a nationwide ecosystem of durable and sustainable organizations that are building power, learning and sharing strategies, and transforming systems. In 2023, the Fund awarded:

$2.35 million through its Anti-Racism and Intersectional Justice Fund in one-year general operating grants to 47 organizations that each received $50,000;
$1.35 million to 18 groups from the Anti-Racism and Intersectional Justice Fund cohort that received an additional $75,000 in one-year general operating grants to support year-round civic engagement activities;
$1.7 million to its UPBUILD AAPI grants for 10 high impact organizations from within this cohort, with each grantee receiving up to $200,000 in general operations support along with customized technical assistance.
Additionally, three 501 (c)4 organizations received $500,000 through UPBUILD AAPI grants specifically for advocacy. No funds from this grant will go to political activity or intervene in any election.

Grantees span 19 states across the country and Washington D.C. and serve over 50 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander ethnic communities. Ninety-six percent of grantees are led or co-led by AAPI women. About three in four of the groups funded work with youth, and almost half provide direct services from housing and job assistance to in-language interpretation and health education. All grantees are part of the Shared Liberation Network, a grantee-led space aimed at peer learning exchanges and advocacy campaign exploration.

“Our country and our democracy are at peril and the need to strengthen AAPI political power is more important than ever,” said EunSook Lee. “The AAPI Civic Engagement Fund is committed to increasing investments in the leaders and groups that are mobilizing AAPIs year-round to be integral in shaping America’s democracy, resourcing them now and for the long haul.”

The list of grantee organizations can be found here: https://aapifund.org/grants/current-grantees/

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The AAPI Civic Engagement Fund fosters a culture of civic participation within AAPI communities by supporting the growth of AAPI groups as organizational movement and power building leaders that achieve specific policy, systems, and transformational change. For more information about the Fund, visit https://aapifund.org.